Multi-fiber cables or ribbons are being increasingly employed in a wide variety of applications. As such, several standard multi-fiber connectors have been developed and are commonly employed. Perhaps one of the most common multi-fiber connectors is the MT RJ connector having a rectangularly-shaped MT ferrule developed by Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation of Tokyo, Japan. However, another common multi-fiber connector is the SC DC connector having a substantially cylindrical DC ferrule developed by Siecor Corporation of Hickory, N.C.
Since the SC DC connector does not include guide pins that would extend beyond the end surface of the DC ferrule, the SC DC connector can be advantageously assembled prior to polishing the end surface of the DC ferrule. In this regard, the post-assembly polishing of an SC DC connector is facilitated by the accessibility of the cylindrical exterior surface of the DC ferrule which is formed to within extremely tight tolerances and which serves as a polishing datum or point of reference during polishing operations.
In contrast to the SC DC connector, which has a single configuration, the MT RJ connector has two configurations, namely, a male configuration, which includes a pair of guide pins extending outwardly beyond the forward end of the MT ferrule, and a female configuration, which does not include guide pins but defines a pair of guide pin holes. As known to those skilled in the art, the two configurations are necessary since in order to mate a pair of MT RJ connectors, the guide pins of a male MT RJ connector are inserted into the guide pin holes of a female MT RJ connector. In order to retain the guide pins in the male configuration of the MT RJ connector, each MT RJ connector generally includes a pin keeper. The pin keeper is typically positioned immediately rearward of the MT ferrule within the connector housing such that the guide pins extend through the guide pin holes defined by the MT ferrule and outwardly beyond the forward end of the MT ferrule. Thus, the guide pins of the male configuration of an MT RJ connector must be inserted during the factory assembly process and cannot be inserted in the field once the remainder of the MT RJ connector has been assembled. As a result, the female configuration of an MT RJ connector cannot be converted to a male configuration in the field by merely inserting guide pins through the guide pins holes defined by the MT ferrule since the guide pins will not be appropriately grasped by the pin keeper. Field technicians must therefore maintain an inventory of MT RJ connectors in both the male configuration and the female configuration since the MT RJ connectors cannot be converted or otherwise altered in the field.
Additionally, the end surface of an MT ferrule must be polished prior to assembling the MT RJ connector since the shoulder defined by the enlarged rear portion of the MT ferrule is used as a point of reference during the polishing process and is inaccessible once the MT RJ connector, including the connector housing and the other components, has been assembled. With respect to the male configuration of the MT RJ connector, the insertion of the guide pins through the guide pin holes defined by the MT ferrule during the assembly process would also serve to prevent the forward end of the MT ferrule from being polished following the assembly process since the guide pins would extend therebeyond. Since the forward end of the MT ferrule is polished prior to the assembly process, the assembly process must be carefully monitored to prevent inadvertent contact or damage to the forward end of the MT ferrule which could damage or otherwise disadvantageously affect the polished surface.
In some applications, MT RJ connectors are inserted into an outlet or other receptacle in order to optically interconnect the optical fibers upon which the MT RJ connector is mounted with other optical fibers or optical components disposed within the outlet or other receptacle. In this regard, conventional outlets that are adapted to receive MT RJ connectors engage the exterior surface of the MT ferrule as the MT RJ connector is inserted into the outlet in order to position the MT ferrule within the outlet. Unfortunately, the exterior surface of an MT ferrule is not as precisely defined with respect to the positions of the optical fibers at the forward end of the ferrule as other features of the MT ferrule, such as the shoulder defined by the enlarged rear portion of the ferrule. In addition, the exterior surface of an MT ferrule has a relatively loose relationship with respect to the locations of the guide pin holes defined by the MT ferrule. Further, the guide pin holes defined by a conventional MT ferrule are generally slightly oversized such that the guide pins that extend therethrough are permitted limited lateral movement with respect to the remainder of the MT ferrule. As such, an MT RJ connector and, more particularly, the optical fibers upon which the MT RJ connector is mounted may not be appropriately aligned with the optical fibers or optical components disposed within the outlet, particularly in instances in which single mode optical fibers must be aligned with great precision. In this same vein, the guide pins of an MT RJ connector inserted into a conventional outlet may be somewhat misaligned relative to the corresponding guide pin holes and may therefore be stubbed and require reinsertion into the outlet in order to properly engage the corresponding guide pin holes.
As described above, several conventional multi-fiber connectors have been designed. Although these multi-fiber connectors are widely employed, a need still exists for a multi-fiber connector that is capable of being converted between male and female configurations in the field in order to reduce the inventory that must be carried by field technicians. In addition, a need exists for a multi-fiber connector that can be assembled prior to polishing and prior to the insertion of guide pins in order to facilitate the fabrication process. Moreover, a need exists for a multi-fiber connector and an associated outlet that provides improved alignment of the multi-fiber connector and, more particularly, the plurality of optical fibers upon which the multi-fiber connector is mounted with the optical fibers or optical components disposed within the outlet.